Promised Pictures

Our flight home was uneventful, and we actually arrived a few minutes early.  Although there is construction around Billy Mitchell Field in Milwaukee, we were able to make it to the car and leave the Super Saver parking lot in record-breaking time. Rick drove us home, for which I am very thankful.  I know that he was as tired as I was, but in the evening, his eyes are better than mine for driving.  Since I had cataract surgery a couple of years ago, I see fine, but the glare at night from oncoming traffic really bothers me. Our "northern" bed felt great that night!

Seeing the bare trees again and the frost on the rooftops was a bit of a jolt to our senses and our systems.  However, we have adjusted to the layers of clothing, the frosty ears if we venture for a walk (I hate wearing hats!), and the too-early darkness that is just a part of this time of year.

I finally have been able to download some of the pictures of our brief progress in Gladys, so enjoy them.

Then: Gladys' kitchen in June 2011. The refrigerator blocked
the view, and the countertop ended halfway across the dishwasher.
The kitchen had two drawers and no pantry.

Now: Gladys' kitchen in October 2012. Taking out the wall oven and
moving the refrigerator to the end allows a full view of the kitchen and a
full pantry.  By taking the 1960's "eat-in" part away from the south end, we gained a full kitchen with lots of drawers and counter space.

The opposite view shows how much more counter space I have in this kitchen now.  Since the dining room is on the other side of the small section next to the stove, we put all of our dishes in the upper end cupboard to make it easily accessible to the dining room.

Lots of room for dishes (upper cabinet), a dishwasher, and tons
of drawers and storage.

The granite on top of the half-wall next to the oven allows us to serve hot dishes buffet-style with access to the dining room.

A countertop on which I can place hot dishes, a granite cutting board
and a granite-topped wall all make the kitchen much more
convenient.  The bottom two drawers are deep enough to hold pots and pans.

Finally, I add the picture of the bookshelf that we bought at the Container Store and brought down in component parts.  This bookshelf and desk, located in the guest bedroom, gives us a quiet place to keep track of our bookwork while having access to all of our files in the boxes on the bottom shelves.

A new desk, file boxes, and desperately needed shelves all
in a room away from the television allows us to work.

Gladys still is not "finished," but with each addition we are making her more of the home we dreamed she could be when we first took possession of her.  In just eight short weeks we will return to her.  Depending on our budget, we will see what further transformations are in store for our new "old" home.